ROGERS -- It didn't take Phillip Necessary long to make an impression on Rogers High football coach Mike Loyd.
The 30-year coaching veteran and former NFL quarterback was hired in the spring and he noticed Necessary quickly thanks to his approach to the game.
Fayetteville at Rogers High
Whitey Smith Stadium
KICKOFF 7 p.m.
RECORDS Fayetteville 4-1, 1-1; Rogers High 4-1, 1-1.
ON THE AIR Fayetteville KQSM-FM 92.1; Rogers High, KURM-AM 790.
BETWEEN THE LINES Rogers scored just seven points in the second half, but Max Horton’s touchdown pass to Jake Benninghoff and the PAT by Chris Lopez in the fourth quarter proved to be the difference. … Horton ran for two touchdowns and threw for two more to help the Mounties edge crosstown rival Rogers Heritage 35-34. … Fayetteville bounced back from its first loss of the season with a 50-14 win over Bentonville West last week. … Quarterback Taylor Powell, a Wake Forest commit, has thrown for almost 1,200 yards and 14 touchdowns. … Fayetteville has won the last nine games in the series against the Mounties. … Running back Terrance Rock averages 140 total offensive yards per game (93 rushing, 47 receiving), but picked up his first rushing TD of the year last week in a 50-14 win against Bentonville West. … Six different Purple’Dogs have caught at least one touchdown pass, with Barrett Banister leading the team with five.
PLAYERS TO WATCH Fayetteville, QB Taylor Powell (Sr., 6-2, 200), RB Terrance Rock (Sr., 5-11, 170), WR Brennon Lewis (Sr., 6-2, 200), DL Daniel Willits (Sr., 5-10, 260), DB Cemari Dobbins (Jr. 5-10, 160). Rogers, RB/DB Jeb Brain (Sr., 5-11, 173), QB Max Horton (Sr., 6-2, 208), RB/WR Grayson Lee (Sr., 5-11, 192), DL Phillip Necessary (Sr., 6-0, 215), LB Aron Jones (Jr., 6-1, 222), WR Jake Benninghoff (Sr., 6-3, 190).
HOOTEN’S RANKINGS Fayetteville is No. 6 in Class 7A; Rogers High is No. 9.
HOOTEN’S LINE Fayetteville by 14.
OUR TAKE Fayetteville 45, Rogers High 14.
— Paul Boyd • @NWAPaulB
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"I asked about him my first or second day I was here just because of his attitude and work ethic," Loyd said.
Necessary's all-out attitude and extensive work ethic paid dividends in a big way last week when the senior leaped up to block a potential game-winning field goal in the waning seconds against crosstown rival Rogers Heritage to help the Mounties hold on for a 35-34 win.
Watching the play on film, Loyd said it was all about Necessary's will to win.
"I watched it frame by frame and you can just see it, it's a matter of determination," Loyd said. "It's a matter of 'I don't want to lose this' for him. He goes airborne and gets a hand on it. He's an effort guy and we've got some that need to learn that. If we can get that, we can turn the corner as a team."
The two-year starter at defensive end admitted the block had extra special meaning coming against the Mounties' rival, but the team being off to a 4-1 start has made the season different, too. It's a distinctly different feeling from last season's 1-9 finish, Necessary said.
"I was talking to the D-line before the play telling them 'Guys, we can change the game right here,'" Necessary said. "I went up and got the ball. The game changed. It was crazy. It felt good for sure.
"It feels good to win. We feel like more of a team. Even when we lose we're not dragging around the next week. We're just getting ready for the next game."
Longtime defensive line coach Mike Bush wasn't surprised that Necessary was the player to make a game-changing play. His attention to detail on and off the football field makes him special, Bush said.
"We have great kids, but Phillip Necessary is the example-setter for the rest of them," Bush said. "A lot of kids look up to him and respect him. The kid has a lot of desire and motivation to succeed on the field and in the classroom, too."
Bush saw that motivation a year ago when coaches decided to move Necessary from linebacker to defensive end in fall camp before his junior year. As a sophomore, Necessary didn't see much playing time and struggled early on the defensive line, but the change turned out to be great for both him and the Mounties, Bush said.
"The thing that made the biggest impression on me was a lot of kids are receptive to a position change, but he was hungry to learn," Bush said. "He stayed after, asked questions, watched film. He did the extra work to try to be successful. He took some early bumps last year, but by the end of the season we were thinking 'Hey, this kid's going to be something special for us.'
"I don't know if it was me or coach (Alan) Rettman or whoever came up with the idea, but I'm glad we made that move. He's been a jewel."
Necessary is listed at 215 pounds, but now that it's midseason he's likely closer to 210. That's significant since the person he lines up against most Friday nights outweighs him by at least 50 pounds.
He just laughs when asked about it.
"There's no small offensive linemen in the 7A-West," Necessary said. "About every guy so far has been 6-1, 6-2, 6-3 at least 250-something. I haven't really had a small guy yet. But it's more of a challenge. I kinda like it. When you beat the bigger guy, you feel more accomplished.
"I try to use my speed and strength against those guys and find a way to win."
Necessary said it's likely he won't play football in college even though he might have a chance at the small college level. But now that the season has passed the midpoint, the fact that his days of playing football are numbered has hit home.
"It's kind of sad," Necessary said. "It's tough to think about that I probably only have a few more weeks left. But you work harder because you have a little more fire behind you."
Loyd, who has coached players who went on to the NFL, said it's the guys like Necessary who epitomize what high school football is about.
"He's not some four-star, five-star guy, 280 pounds," Loyd said. "But he plays hard every snap because he enjoys it. But he's a young man that has his priorities in order and is going to be successful away from athletics."
Sports on 10/07/2016